1 AGEC 5351 Land & Natural Resource Economics Fall 2017 Instructor: Andrew Wright, Ph.D. Email: andrew.wright@angelo.edu Phone: 325-486-6751 Office: 226 Vincent Nursing & Physical Sciences Building, Angelo State University, San Angelo, TX 76909 Office Hours: When I am in my office my door is open and you are welcome to step in and ask a question. There will normally be only two instances when I am not in my office: I am teaching or I am in a meeting somewhere else on campus. If you set up an appointment to meet with me in advance then I will definitely be in my office at the time that we agree upon. My Class Schedule: MWF 9-9:50am MWF 11-11:50am TR 8-9:15am TR 11am-12:15pm Meeting Time & Location for this Class: MWF, 9:00 9:50am, VIN 263 Text & Materials I will be providing students with readings during the semester so you are not required to purchase a text. If you think that a reference text would be useful two good ones are: 1) Tietenburg, T. and L. Lewis. 2015. Environmental & Natural Resource Economics. 10 th Ed. New York: Taylor & Francis. ISBN: 9780133479690 2) Harris, J. and B. Roach. 2018. Environmental & Natural Resource Economics: A Contemporary Approach. 4 th Ed. New York: Routledge. ISBN: 978113865947 Both of these texts can be found in print and electronic formats. Other Materials: While it is not required, you may find a calculator helpful for the homework assignments and the exams. Important Dates: August 28: First day of class, Fall 2017 September 4: Labor Day holiday (no class) November 22-24: Thanksgiving holidays (no class) December 13: Final exam, 8:00am
2 Course Description: This class covers the application of basic economic principles to the management and use of natural resources. Topics covered in this class will include: A review of the basic tools of economic analysis Market failure and its application to resource problems The economic valuation of resource benefits The application of cost-benefit techniques to resource problems Course Prerequisites: I expect that students enrolled in AGEC 5351 have already taken an introductory course in economics. If you have not taken such a course in the past then you can expect to have a more difficult time with some of the topics we cover. I also expect that students taking this course have prior experience with some basic mathematic and algebraic concepts: Students should know what a ratio is and how to interpret one. Students should know what the slope of a straight line represents and how to calculate the slope of a line using information found in a graph. Students should know how to solve for an unknown variable in an equation. Students should know how take numerical information and plug it in to an equation to calculate a solution. I will provide opportunities to practice these skills to any student who requests them. In addition, the ASU tutoring center is a great resource for help with basic math skills. Learning Objectives: As your instructor I have established a set of learning goals and related objectives. As you engage with the course material please keep these goals and objectives in mind. Goal 1: Learn Essential Knowledge Course Objective 1: Students will explain how externalities and other forms of market failure impact the ability of markets to efficiently allocate natural resources. Course Objective 2: Students will compare and contrast the different methods that can be used to measure the value of the benefits that a resource provides. Method of Assessment: Homework assignments & exams Goal 2: Develop critical thinking & quantitative reasoning skills Course Objective 1: Students will use numerical and/or graphical information about a market failure to assess its effect on market price, market quantity, and economic surplus. Course Objective 2: Student s will illustrate the correct use of Net Present Value and the Benefit- Cost Ratio to analyze resource problems. Method of Assessment: Homework assignments & exams Goal 3: Develop Communication Skills Course Objective 1: Students will research a resource management issue, write a report that summarizes the issue, and present this report to the class. Method of Assessment: 1) Essays will be graded for content, structure, and grammar using a rubric that will be presented in class and made available on Blackboard. 2) In-class presentations will be graded for quality and content using a rubric that will be presented in class and made available on Blackboard.
3 Goal 4: Demonstrate knowledge of how agriculture & agribusiness impact society Course Objective 1: Students will illustrate the use of economic surplus as a tool to analyze social welfare. Course Objective 2: Students will explain how the concept of sustainability can be integrated into a market-based approach to natural resource management. Course Objective 3: Students will compare and contrast different forms of equity and explain how equity issues impact the economic analysis of resource problems Method of Assessment: Homework assignments & exams Course Policies: Please read these policies carefully as they explain how assignments and exams will be conducted and how your final grade will be calculated. Attendance: Attendance is essential to perform well in this class. I expect students to attend class unless they have been excused beforehand. Furthermore, I expect students to arrive on time and prepared to participate in the lecture and discussion. o How I Take Attendance: I pass around a sign-in sheet at the start of class. If you do not sign in then you will be counted as absent for that day. o Impact on Grade: Any student with 3 or less unexcused absences will be awarded 20 bonus points at the end of the semester. o Definition of an unexcused absence: Any absence that is not related to a University event OR approved by Dr. Wright beforehand is unexcused. I am willing to consider excusing any absence as long as you inform me of the absence and explain why it cannot be avoided. NOTE: Consider does not mean accept. o Information missed during an absence: You are responsible for any information related to the class that you miss while absent. I am happy to answer any questions you might have, but I will not reproduce a lecture for you in my office. o ASU Policy of Religious Holy Days: A student who intends to observe a religious holy day should make that intention known in writing to the instructor prior to the absence. A student who is absent from classes for the observance of a religious holy day shall be allowed to take an examination or complete an assignment scheduled for that day within a reasonable time after the absence. Grading Policy: Your grade will be calculated based on the number of points you earn out of 550. o Exams: 200 points o Written Report: 100 points o Class Presentation: 100 Points o Homework Assignments: 50 points o Orientation Assignments: 50 points o Experiment Attendance: 50 points o Grading Scale: A = 495 550 points B = 440 494 points C = 385 439 points D = 330 384 points F = 0 329 points
4 Exams: There are two exams, plus an optional final, planned for this course. Each exam is worth 100 points. o The two midterm exams are not cumulative. The final exam is cumulative, but it is optional and will replace your lowest exam score in your grade total if you choose to take it. The final exam CANNOT hurt your final grade total. o If you miss an exam and it is an excused absence you will be allowed to take the exam on a different date. It is my preference that you take the exam early if possible. o If you miss an exam and it is an unexcused absence you will not be allowed to make it up. o If you are late to an exam you will be allowed to take it as long as no one has turned in their copy. You will not be given extra time to complete the exam if you are late. Assignments: Assignments come in two forms: Orientation assignments and Application assignments o Orientation Assignments: You must complete two orientation assignments designed to familiarize you with the course policies. These assignments must be completed by the end of the first week of class and include: A quiz over this syllabus (40 Points) A short survey (10 Points) o Application Assignments: Application assignments are meant to assess what you know and still need to work on at the end of each week and are usually due on Fridays at midnight. Use these assignments to inform how you study and review material throughout the semester. There are 9 application assignments. Each assignment is worth 5 points. You will receive an additional 5 points if you submit all 9 assignments on time and maintain an average of 3.5 points. o Policy on Late Homework Assignments: Late assignments will receive a 50% penalty to their grade. Any assignment may be submitted late; however, there is a deadline to turn in assignments and receive any points. The deadline for assignments related to the first midterm is October 13 at 9:00 am. The deadline for assignments related to the second midterm is December 1 at 9:00 am. Written Report: Students must write a written report that summarizes a resource management issue. In-Class Presentation: Students will present there report to the rest of the class during the final week of the semester. Participation in Experiments: During the semester we will conduct three in-class experiments. o These experiments will be used to motivate discussion during lectures. o Each student in the class will participate in at least one experiment. o Attendance on experiment days is required and will impact your grade.
5 Technical Difficulties or Other Issues: Should you experience any technical difficulties or other issues that prevent you from completing an assignment contact me AS SOON AS IT OCCURS. If you contact me by email, please use the following format: Dear Dr. Wright, [State your difficulty]. Can you please [state your request]. Thank you, [Name] Be advised that I may ask some follow up questions and your answers might determine how accommodating I am. Academic Integrity and Misconduct: Angelo State University expects its student to maintain complete honesty and integrity in their academic pursuits. Students are responsible for reading and understanding the policies set forth in the Student Handbook: http://www.angelo.edu/student-handbook/. Americans with Disabilities Act: Angelo State University is committed to the principle that no qualified individual with a disability shall, on the basis of disability, be excluded from participation in or be denied the benefits of the services, programs, or activities of the university, or be subjected to discrimination by the university, as provided by the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA), the Americans with Disabilities Act Amendments Act of 2008 (ADAAA), and subsequent legislation. Student Disability Services is located in the Office of Student Affairs, and is the designated campus department charged with the responsibility of reviewing and authorizing requests for reasonable accommodations based on a disability. It is the student s responsibility to initiate such a request by contacting an employee of the Office of Student Affairs, in the Houston Harte University Center, Room 112, or contacting the department via email at ADA@angelo.edu. For more information about the application process and requirements, visit the Student Disability Services website at www.angelo.edu/ada. The employee charged with the responsibility of reviewing and authorizing accommodation requests is: Dallas Swafford Director of Student Disability Services Office of Student Affairs 325-942-2047 dallas.swafford@angelo.edu Houston Harte University Center, Room 112 Use of Cell Phones & Electronic Devices: Your cell phone may be left on but should be put away and silenced during the lecture. If I see a cell phone out during an exam I will take up your exam and you will receive a failing grade for the exam. If you wish to use an electronic device to take notes you may do so; however, if I feel that your use of such a device is causing a distraction I will ask you to put it away.
6 Policy on Deviations from this Syllabus: While I hope I do not have to make any changes to the course policies or course schedule, there is always the possibility that special circumstances will arise that necessitate changes be made. If such a circumstance occurs then I will communicate it both in class and via Blackboard. Once announced, any such changes will supersede what is written in this syllabus. Planned Schedule of Course Topics Date Topic/Activity 1-Aug Introduce class, schedule & course policies Week 1 3-Aug Discuss learning & approach to class 1-Sep FOUNDATION - Resources, the environment, & economics 4-Sep HOLIDAY Week 2 6-Sep FOUNDATION - Economic efficiency 8-Sep FOUNDATION - Supply & Demand 11-Sep FOUNDATION - Economic Surplus Week 3 13-Sep FOUNDATION - Elasticity 15-Sep EXPERIMENT - Supply & Demand Experiment 18-Sep EXPERIMENT - Discuss experiment results Week 4 20-Sep FOUNDATION - Externalities 22-Sep FOUNDATION - The Coase Theorem 25-Sep FOUNDATION - Public Goods Week 5 27-Sep EXPERIMENT - Public Good Game 29-Sep EXPERIMENT - Discuss experiment results 2-Oct FOUNDATION - Common Pool Resources Week 6 4-Oct EXPERIMENT - Common Pool Resource Game 6-Oct EXPERIMENT - Discuss experiment results 9-Oct REVIEW - Exam 1 Review Week 7 11-Oct STUDY - Finish assignments, come and ask me questions 13-Oct EXAM - Take Exam 1 16-Oct REFLECT - Review Exam 1 & take survey Week 8 18-Oct CBA - Introduction to cost-benefit analysis 20-Oct CBA - Sources of value & measuring value 23-Oct CBA - Revealed Preference Methods Week 9 25-Oct CBA - Travel Cost Paper 27-Oct CBA; - Hedonic Pricing Paper 30-Oct CBA - Stated Preference Methods Week 10 1-Nov CBA - Contingent Valuation Paper 3-Nov CBA - Discounting 6-Nov CBA - Net Present Value & Benefit Cost Ratios Week 11 8-Nov CBA - NPV/BCR Paper 10-Nov CBA - Considering Risk & Uncertainty
7 Planned Schedule of Course Topics 13-Nov CBA; - Equity Issues Week 12 15-Nov CBA - Valuing Human Life 17-Nov SPECIAL TOPICS - Depletable Resources 20-Nov SPECIAL TOPICS - Sustainability Week 13 22-Nov THANKSGIVING HOLIDAY 24-Nov THANKSGIVING HOLIDAY 27-Nov REVIEW - Exam 2 Review Week 14 29-Nov STUDY - Finish assignments, come and ask me questions 1-Dec EXAM; Take Exam 2 4-Dec REFLECT - Review Exam 2 & take survey Week 15 6-Dec Graduate Student Presentations 8-Dec Optional final exam review Finals 13-Dec FINAL EXAM @ 8:00am (optional) Planned Homework Schedule Date Assignments Week 1 Syllabus quiz - Required, due 9/1/2017 Course Survey - Required, due 9/1/2017 Week 2 NO HOMEWORK Week 3 Supply, Demand, & Efficiency - Due 9/15 Week 4 Economic Surplus & Elasticity - Due 9/22 Week 5 Externalities & the Coase Theorem - Due 9/29 Week 6 Common Pool Resources & Public Goods - Due 10/6 Week 7 ALL MAKE UP ASSIGNMENTS ARE DUE EXAM 1 on 10/13 Week 8 NO HOMEWORK Week 9 CBA Basics - Due 10/27 Week 10 Revealed Preference - Due 11/3 Week 11 Stated Preference - Due 11/10 Week 12 CBA Techniques - Due 11/17 Week 13 CBA Issues, Depletable Resource, & Sustainability - Due 11/26 Week 14 Week 15 ALL MAKE UP ASSIGNMENTS ARE DUE EXAM 2 on 12/1 NO HOMEWORK
Planned Written Report Due Dates 8